Islamabad: Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman and Member of the National Assembly Sahibzada Hamid Raza has been taken into custody and transferred to Faisalabad Central Jail. According to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, Hamid Raza was intercepted by Islamabad Police during his journey from Peshawar to Faisalabad.
The arrest was also confirmed by Acting SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hassan Raza, who stated that his brother had been detained. However, Islamabad Police have not yet issued an official confirmation regarding the arrest. Sources indicate that Hamid Raza has since been handed over to Faisalabad Police.
Hamid Raza was previously sentenced by a local court to 40 years in prison in cases linked to attacks on sensitive institutions. Law enforcement agencies had been actively seeking his arrest following the verdict.
In September, Hamid Raza resigned from his position as Information Secretary of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ain Pakistan, a move that came amid growing legal challenges.
The development comes a day after the Anti-Terrorism Court issued arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar in connection with the November 26 arson case. Following the warrants, police teams reached the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad to detain the two leaders, but officials confirmed that the Chief Minister was not present at the location.
The arrest of Sahibzada Hamid Raza marks another significant escalation in the ongoing political and legal turmoil, with multiple high-profile leaders now facing court actions and police operation.